Going to Work in a Genesis 3 World

God designed us to love our work, coworkers, and workplace. The Bible’s opening chapters paint a beautiful picture of work, coworkers, and the workplace. God appears as the perfect owner-employer, building a delightful workplace filled with everything his workers need to fulfill their task.

In Genesis 1, after God made humans, he blessed them with a work assignment: “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. Rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, and every creature that crawls on the earth” (28). The world was their workplace, and ruling it was their work.

We see the same in Genesis 2. After making the man, God made a garden, where he placed the man “to work it and watch over it” (15). The garden was a workplace; the man was to work it. But he could not work it alone. So, the Lord created a perfectly compatible coworker to add her strength to his. Best of all, the Lord himself would live with them.

Coworkers who love their employer, each other, their work, and their workplace — what could be better than that? It’s paradise. If that’s God’s design, why is work so often not paradise?

Genesis 3 happened, that’s what.

When the first humans disobeyed God, they became “ungodly” and “weak” (Rom 5:6). While God designed us with good weaknesses that should inform our work, the fall brought new, consequential weaknesses that would plague life and work. Where do we see those weaknesses?

Weakened workers. Spiritually, humans now have a depraved nature — corrupted morals, understanding, ambitions, desires, goals, works, words, and relationships (Rom 3:10-18). Biologically, we now work in a state of physical decay. Our corrupted bodies are susceptible to disease, genetic abnormalities, trauma, injury, chronic pain, physical and mental illness, and death. We’re born dying and “will return to dust” (3:19).

Weakened work relationships. Sin weakened our relationships with God and neighbor. In our fallen state, we rebel against our job assignment, becoming “enemies” of God, needing reconciliation (Rom 5:10). The relationship between God and humans is severed as the humans (who sought to hide from the Lord) are driven away from the Lord’s presence (Gen 3:8, 23; 4:16). Likewise, human relationships would now be characterized by evil, greed, envy, murder, quarrels, deceit, malice, gossip, arrogance, senselessness, and an absence of trustworthiness, love, and mercy (Rom 1:28–32).

Weakened workplaces. Our job assignment (ruling the world as God’s image bearers) did not change, but our workplace did. “So the Lord God sent him away from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken” (Gen 3:23). Instead of working God’s garden, humans would toil in a hostile environment filled with “thorns and thistles” (18). Multiplying and gathering food would be painful labor (16-17).

After the fall, outside the garden, work is not a pretty picture. Yet that’s the context in which we all work today. Every fallen weakness described above is present in every workplace every day.

Yes, God’s merciful common grace prevents the world and its inhabitants from carrying out evil as fully as possible. And, yes, Christians experience present relief through saving grace, forgiveness, reconciliation, regeneration, the indwelling Holy Spirit, and the hope of resurrection. Nevertheless, on this side of heaven, we all still live and work outside the garden in a cursed world.

How should we respond to fallen weakness in the workplace? Walking wisely requires sober-minded alertness and careful attention to our context, including how evil influences it (Eph 5:15; 1 Pet 5:8). Understanding weakness in the fall prepares us to engage the workplace for God’s glory and our neighbor’s good.

First, we should not deny fallen weaknesses.

Whether it is sin, an aging body, or the futility of this world, we sometimes deny these weaknesses through anger, self-justification, or blame-shifting. It’s not that my body is weak, my mind is declining, or I acted out of pride or greed. It’s that uncooperative coworker, the stupid designer, or the unfair manager’s fault.

Sometimes, we deny fallen weakness through feigned ignorance or positivity-spin. We act like it’s just not there. Or, when it can’t be ignored, we spout, “It’s not a failure; it’s an opportunity.” Yes, we can (and should) learn from failure. Nevertheless, unfettered positivity is neither helpful nor biblical (for example, see Genesis 3, Ecclesiastes, or in the life of Jesus.).

Second, we should openly acknowledge fallen weaknesses.

For the pain of a broken world, acknowledgment may mean simply saying what’s true. Sometimes, we need to speak the brokenness of life and have a friend join us in the lament (see Ps 88; Mark 14:32-34; John 11:35). We admit we’re off today because we’re grieving a loss, fought with a friend, or the dog vomited right as we were leaving (again). Or, when seeing a coworker’s grief, we sit with them in silence, offer space, share tears, or say, “I hate this too.”

For a decaying body, it might be sharing about our cognitive decline, diminished strength, or failing coordination — and asking for patience and help. When we see this in a coworker, we offer acceptance, understanding, patience, and accommodations that affirm their value as a person and partner.

For sinful weakness, acknowledgment may look like confession, confrontation, consequences, and forgiveness. Instead of an excuse, we say, “I was selfish. I thought only of myself and not about you. I’m sorry. I accept the consequences. Here’s how I’ll change. Will you forgive me?” Likewise, it may mean gently confronting a coworker’s fallen motives — and extending grace and forgiveness when a coworker confesses their wrongs.

Finally, we should hope and encourage hope in God’s solution.

Fallen weakness is our present context, but it’s not our permanent context. God addressed the effects of sin through the work of a Savior (Gen 3:15). “While we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly” (Rom 5:6). His death for sin redeemed us from the curse and his resurrection proves his work is finished. Those who trust in Jesus will be raised with incorruptible bodies like his (1 Cor 15:41-44). We will live with him on a new earth in a garden paradise where “grief, crying, and pain will be no more” (Rev 21:4).

In a Christian workplace, the gospel should be commonplace. If God addresses the consequences of the fall with Christ, shouldn’t we do the same? We should help each other apply Jesus’ finished work to our frustrating work. We encourage one another to believe the Lord when he says, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in weakness” (2 Cor 12:9).

Because of the gospel, we have every reason to do our best, work hard, attempt difficult things, and persevere through adversity. Knowing our sins are forgiven, we’re free to confess our sins and make restoration. We can face ethical dilemmas or seek solutions to systemic problems, knowing God gives wisdom generously (James 1:5).

Offering gospel hope in a secular environment requires wisdom, tact, and relationships. When a colleague does wrong and apologizes, you may say, “I’ve done far worse, friend, and I know what it is to receive grace I don’t deserve, so I can’t hold this against you.” When a close coworker complains, you might gently affirm her frustration, “I hate that we live in a broken world. It will be made new one day, and that hope keeps me going.” Such responses cultivate curiosity and invite inquiry, leading to opportunities to give “a reason for the hope that is in you” (1 Pet 3:15).

The gospel frees us to enter the workplace for God’s glory and our neighbor’s good. Knowing God loves us motivates us to love our neighbors. Knowing Jesus will make everything new inspires perseverance when everything seems old. But we can’t rejoice in God’s salvation if we deny what we’re saved from. Let’s be honest about our fallen weakness so we can celebrate Christ’s resurrection power.